Sweet 16 party for Biles!

Biles wins 16th world title, fifth all-around gold Biles extended her own record as the most decorated woman in world championships history to leave her just one short of male gymnast Vitaly Scherbo’s all-time record of 23 medals

Stuttgart (Germany), Oct. 11: US gymnastics superstar Simone Biles admitted being bewildered by her own success after claiming a record-extending 16th world championship gold medal and fifth all-around title on Thursday in Stuttgart.

Biles, 22, earned the 22nd world medal of her career, backing up team gold with the USA on Tuesday, by producing a superb display.

“It’s an honour and it’s super exciting,” she said.

Chinese youngster Tang Xijing, 16, took silver, while Angelina Melnikova of Russia claimed bronze.

Biles’ winning margin of 2.1 points was her biggest at a world championships and was identical to her winning gap in the same event at the 2016 Olympics.

She extended her own record as the most decorated woman in world championships history to leave her just one short of male gymnast Vitaly Scherbo’s all-time record of 23 medals.

She can break Scherbo’s mark in this weekend’s four apparatus finals. However, she was slightly bewildered by her worlds medal tally and amazed by her own displays in Stuttgart.

“I feel like it’s not me and sometimes I wonder how I do it. I sometimes wish I could have an outof-body experience to witness it,” she said, laughing.

“I look back at videos and wonder how I did that.”

Biles led from the start, nailing her first discipline with a superb vault which scored 15.223 points.

She followed that up with a solid display on the uneven bars, where she posted the third-highest score, to consolidate her lead.

Biles dominated the beam and sealed gold with the highest score of 14.400 in the floor exercise when she had only needed 12.300 for the title.

She said the hardest thing was “keeping up with the music” during her floor routine.

“I go faster than it, so I feel like it’s harder to slow myself down,” said Biles.

I feel like it’s not me and sometimes I wonder how I do it. I sometimes wish I could have an out-of-body experience to witness it. I look back at videos and wonder how I did that. — SIMONE BILES

— AFP USA’s Simone Biles performs on the balance beam during the women's all-around final at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, on Thursday.